Picture-hanger



(No Mael.) y S. LORD.

PIGTURB HANGER.

No. 603,146. PatentedApr. 26,1898.

n the frame a.

UNITED f STATES PATENT Brion).

SIMEON LORD, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ENOS VERLENDEN, OF DARBY, PENNSYLVANIA.

PICTURE-HANGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 603,146, dated April 26, 1898.

Application filed October 15, 1897. Serial No. 655,337. (N0 model.)

tion, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of my invention is to produce a cheap, simple, and strong device for attaching the cord to picture-frames in such manner that said cord may be lengthened or shortened at will without taking the picture down from its hook and without releasing either end of the cord or Wire from the picture. y In the drawings, Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a picture-frame, broken away, with my improved hanger attached. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the winding-drum. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of the drum.

In.Figs. 1 to 3 I have illustrated my preferred form of hanger, in which a is a frame, broken away.

l) is a hanger composed of a body portion the lower end of which is turned at rightangles, as at b'.

b2 are two diverging arms or` supports eX- tending from and integral with the upper portion of the support, each being provided with apertures near the end. c is a spring winding-drum, to which is secured a ratchet-wheel d, said wheel being secured rigidly to said drum. f

e is a bolt by means of which the drum and ratchet-wheel are secured to the hanger b, the drum and its ratchet being free to revolve on said bolt.

fis a pawl pivoted at f to the support b and provided near its forward end with an aperture in which is secured a suitable operating-cord h, the lower end of which for convenience being secured to the frame by means of the screw-eye h.

h2 is a coiled or other spring secured between the pawl and right-angled portion of I are two eyes secured to the frame. These screw-eyes, instead of being entirely closed, as heretofore, are provided with an opening 1I, as clearly shown in Fig. 4, through which the cord or wire may be passed.

K is the cord, wire, or other suitable suspending medium, both ends of which are secured to the Winding-drum at diametrically opposite points. The cord is then wound by the spring around the drum.

When it is desired to use'the adjuster or zhanger, it is secured to theframe by means Yof the screws k. After itis thus secured the i cord or wire is then partially unwound from the reel or drum and passed through the openings 'L' in the screw-eyes. The cord 72, is then secured, if desired, to the eye h. The cord h is then pulled, thereby freeing the pawl from the ratchet-wheel, whereupon the hanging-cord K may be pulledout to the desired length, when the cord 72. is released and the pawl again engages the ratchet-wheel, thus locking the drum against rotation. After the picture is hung, if it is found that it is too high, the pawl fis again pulled out of engagement with the ratchet-wheel and the frame pulled down as far as desired. If, on the other hand, the picture is too low, it is only necessary to raise it in the hand, thereby taking the weight 0E the spring in the windingdrum, whereupon the spring will wind up the wire as long as the frame is so held. When the proper position is reached, the frame is released from the hand, thereby stopping the Winding in of the cord.,

The devices will be sold to the public with the wire wound upon the winding-drum, thus furnishing a complete picture-hanger ready for use. They willv be made in various sizes, and the length of Wire furnished will vary according to the size of the reel. For instance, a reel two inches in diameter will be supplied with eight feet of wire, three inches in diameter with twelve feet of wire, and so on.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a picture-hangenthe combination of a spring-controlled winding-drum, a ratchetwheel connected to said drum, with a frame on which to mount said drum and ratchetwheel,a pawl pivoted on said frame and adapted to normally engage said ratchet-wheel and an operating-cord secured to said pawl, substantially as described.

IOO

the said right-,angled portion under the pawl, and a oord or wire secured to the forward end 1o of said pawl for operating the same.

SIMEON LORD.

Witnesses:

S. J. M. BROCK, C. THOMAS BROCK. 

